# Beijing Olympics



## Lorem Ipsum (Aug 7, 2008)

With the Olympic Games happening in Beijing tomorrow, this is a discussion thread for everything related to the games, whether to do with the actual sport, or to discuss other things that have come with the games, such as the Free Tibet protests intensifying, the question of air pollution in China, and human rights being questioned.

Just a note; the opening ceremony takes place tomorrow, Friday 8th August 2008 at 8:00pm Chinese time (British people can catch the opening ceremony on BBC One at 12:45pm GMT).

Oh, and is it me who thinks that the date for the start of the Games being 08/08/08 at 8:00pm and the Chinese lucky number being 8 is a coincidence?


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## Vladimir Putin's LJ (Aug 7, 2008)

I'm pretty sure there will be an attack or a huge protest exactly at the time the games start just to piss everyone off.


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## Timmy (Aug 7, 2008)

Don't care for it but the animated BBC ad for the Beijing Olympics is pretty sweet imo


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## Murkrow (Aug 7, 2008)

Something will happen that will be on the news (except he fact that it opened) even if it's just a free Tibet leaflet being on the floor a mile away from the stadium.


Found this elsewhere:
http://img529.imageshack.us/img529/3733/beijingolympiclogogr1.jpg
I feel bad for finding it funny. At least their logo is better than London's one.


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## Vladimir Putin's LJ (Aug 7, 2008)

Murkrow said:


> At least their logo is better than London's one.


oh god the london olympics logo is the worst thing.
I don't even know what it _is_. Does is mean anything to you Brits or what.


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## Dannichu (Aug 8, 2008)

I think it's absolutely horrendous. I quite liked the "Leap for London" ads that were on buses and things before London was picked, with people vaulting over the London Eye or the Gherkin or whatever (uh, like this). But the this one is horrible.


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## Vladimir Putin's LJ (Aug 8, 2008)

It looks like they handed two underliner pens to either a retarded or blind person and let them go wild.
I mean it's great that London's giving disabled people a chance but.


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## Murkrow (Aug 8, 2008)

You want to know what the logo is?

It's K9 from Doctor Who looking at two ducks.


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## Vladimir Putin's LJ (Aug 8, 2008)

Murkrow said:


> You want to know what the logo is?
> 
> It's K9 from Doctor Who looking at two ducks.


oh my god it all makes sense now


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## Zora of Termina (Aug 8, 2008)

Welp.

I was going to boycott watching the opening ceremony due to the whole Tibet thing, but then Mom said there would be snacks while we were watching it.

Does this make me a failed hippy?

also um excuse me wtf is that thing is london insane or something


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## Flareth (Aug 8, 2008)

Zora of Termina said:


> Welp.
> 
> I was going to boycott watching the opening ceremony due to the whole Tibet thing, but then Mom said there would be snacks while we were watching it.
> 
> ...


Apparently so...to the last one...

Meh...I probably won't watch it. I might though.


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## Vladimir Putin's LJ (Aug 8, 2008)

Zora of Termina said:


> Welp.
> 
> I was going to boycott watching the opening ceremony due to the whole Tibet thing, but then Mom said there would be snacks while we were watching it.
> 
> ...


how do you boycott *watching* a ceremony

also yeah giving up on not watching the ceremony because of snacks is kind of weak tbh but I don't really care since I don't pay much attention to the Olympic games anyway.


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## Blaziking the God General (Aug 8, 2008)

I can't wait for the olympics. Sort of. I agree that China definately wasn't a good place to have the olymics this year, but the athletes have worked so dang hard, so I think that they ought to continue.

Hey, did anyone else hear that Iran or Iraq (I forget which -_-) was banned from the olympics? It's so cruel...


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## Vladimir Putin's LJ (Aug 8, 2008)

If they banned Iraq they're being unfair but I can sort of understand banning Iran since they're being huge dicks right now.
I mean they should still be allowed to participate since the athletes of the country don't have much to do with the leader but I get where they're coming from.


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## surskitty (Aug 8, 2008)

I hope the athletes'll be fine.  Air quality in Beijing kinda sucks ass.  Well, more than kinda.


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## EvilCrazyMonkey (Aug 8, 2008)

I can't wait to watch swimming, and that's it. :D

Apparently this ex-policewoman living near me is going to be in the Riflery section of the Olympics.


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## Kratos Aurion (Aug 8, 2008)

The indoor sport athletes should mostly be okay, but seriously how much is it going to suck for the track and field people.


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## surskitty (Aug 8, 2008)

Kratos Aurion said:


> The indoor sport athletes should mostly be okay, but seriously how much is it going to suck for the track and field people.


Quite a lot, from what I've heard.  Some people were going to Beijing to try to get used to running with that air quality and were consistently having trouble with the whole 'breathing' thing.

:<


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## Yarnchu (Aug 9, 2008)

I won't watch it. I never watch it. Sports aren't my thing, and the olympics is just one big sports event that always has some kind of controversy attached to it like it being held in Bejing or someone using steroids. And all you get is a medal. A f-ing _medal_. Oh, and being featured in nearly every advertisment following the olympics. So I pass.


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## Murkrow (Aug 9, 2008)

I watch it I'm on holiday because usually we can only get like three channels then.

I've already been on holiday so I'm not watching it. However we'll probably have it on in the background but not actually watch it.


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## surskitty (Aug 9, 2008)

So apparently China threw fits over people wearing pollution masks because the US cycling team kind of likes their lungs.  Then parts of the US cycling team began sucking up.

Discuss.


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## Tailsy (Aug 9, 2008)

Wait, people watch the Olympics--

oh no _wait_ lol at least you guys get your own team, ahahahaha


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## Murkrow (Aug 9, 2008)

I thought cycling was indoors.


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## Tailsy (Aug 9, 2008)

Murkrow said:


> I thought cycling was indoors.


Air doesn't get indoors?


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## Murkrow (Aug 9, 2008)

Wouldn't the air be less polluted indoors. I know it's not exactly fresh air, but wouldn't it be cleaner with air conditioning or something?


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## Tailsy (Aug 9, 2008)

It's still going to smell like ass.


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## surskitty (Aug 9, 2008)

This is _Beijing_, where even on a good day, it's one of the most heavily polluted cities in the world.  _There is pretty much always a haze over everything._  Air quality starts as "really godawful" and goes from there.


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## Lorem Ipsum (Aug 9, 2008)

Well, these are the results of the events I saw:
*Rowing - Double Sculls - Heat 1* 1-Britain 2-Croatia 3-Slovenia
*Rowing - Mens' Four - Heat 1* 1-Britain 2-Italy 3-USA
*Womens' Weightlifting (48kg)* 1-China 2-Turkey 3-China


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## Music Dragon (Aug 9, 2008)

I remember when I was in Shanghai last time. The sky was literally grey with pollution.


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## OrangeAipom (Aug 9, 2008)

I want nothing to do with the Olympics.


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## IcySapphire (Aug 9, 2008)

I checked the medal counts today, and the US, China, and South Korea (I think) make up the top three right now.


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## surskitty (Aug 9, 2008)

I know the US beat Japan in volleyball and the US has the gold, silver, and bronze for something having to do with fencing.


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## Seritinajii (Aug 12, 2008)

The opening ceremony was awesome. Did anyone else see it?


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## Vladimir Putin's LJ (Aug 12, 2008)

Seritinajii said:


> The opening ceremony was awesome. Did anyone else see it?


Yeah, those Chinese really know how to put up a show. It was very pretty.


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## #1 bro (Aug 12, 2008)

Who else agrees that this year's mascots are the _best thing ever?_


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## Seritinajii (Aug 12, 2008)

Can't tell if it's sarcasm or not, so...

I think they're cute and stuff. :D


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## IcySapphire (Aug 12, 2008)

Checked the medal standings, and Team USA was ahead of Team China by 1


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## EvilCrazyMonkey (Aug 12, 2008)

Micheal Phelps won his 9th career gold medal in the 200m freestyle, tying four others as a record. I think he's also trying to break the record for most gold medals received in one Olympic games.


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## #1 bro (Aug 12, 2008)

Seritinajii said:


> Can't tell if it's sarcasm or not, so...
> 
> I think they're cute and stuff. :D


It's definitely not sarcasm. They are awesome.


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## Vladimir Putin's LJ (Aug 12, 2008)

If China doesn't get the most gold medals there's going to be a mass suicide.


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## Minish (Aug 12, 2008)

I watched some of it today. Makes me wish I watched it either, it's the only programme that makes me actually react. XD

I saw some twenty-year old Chinese guy doing athletics. He was so amazing.
And some English guy get silver for canoing (that word looks strange).


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## Murkrow (Aug 12, 2008)

I heard that some of he fireworks during the opening ceremony were faked.
Obviously the people who were actually there saw it as it actually was, but the TV transmissions sent out some pre-recorded clips of fireworks going off there.



Cirrus said:


> I watched some of it today. Makes me wish I watched it either, it's the only programme that makes me actually react. XD
> 
> I saw some twenty-year old Chinese guy doing athletics. He was so amazing.
> And some English guy get silver for canoing (that word looks strange).


I think he's Scottish, not English.


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## Tailsy (Aug 13, 2008)

Murkrow said:


> I think he's Scottish, not English.


He is indeed! He's from Aberdeen. :3


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## Shiranui (Aug 13, 2008)

the scrollpainting during the opening ceremony was freaking awesomebadass. 

[fan]
michael phelps gogogo
chinese men's gymnastics team gogogo
natalie whatserface gogogo
[/fan]

didn't that US volleyball coach's dad get stabbed to death or something?

well, better than killing the israelis, I guess.


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## Ether's Bane (Aug 13, 2008)

Well, I, (along with all the citizens of my country (Malaysia) ) am closely watching the badminton tournament, because Malaysia currently has the world number 2 player, and we've never won an Olympic gold medal. Silver, yes, bronze, yes, but never the gold. Just wondering, does anyone else here live in a country starved of Olympic success?


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## Mercy (Aug 14, 2008)

I'm rooting for Michael Phelps in swimming and Jonathan Horton in gymnastics. As for the beginning of the Olympics, I only saw a little bit, like the part where they were like, "60, 50, 40, 30, etc.." But the bit I saw of it was still awesome. :3


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## Rwr4539 (Aug 14, 2008)

Also China are nuts.


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## Minish (Aug 14, 2008)

Tailsy said:


> He is indeed! He's from Aberdeen. :3


I meant British. XD
(I can't believe I got the words mixed up. I feel so guilty D: SORRY SCOTLAND)

Also I am now IN LOVE with watching the gymnastics. I have no idea why. I don't even like gymnastics. And I found myself cheering on the Chinese by mistake. D: SORRY GREAT BRITAIN AS A WHOLE


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## Flazeah (Aug 14, 2008)

Oh, the gymnastics was so cool. It's incredible how they do those twists in the air and I feel so bad for them when they fall off a piece of apparatus. >.< But I like how it's so full of suspense.

 Me and my brother watched the women's weightlifting yesterday. There was this amazing Chinese woman... and a Russian woman who was also brilliant. Ooh, and the women's archery a few days ago was really exciting. The French team was so awesome. :D


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## Tailsy (Aug 14, 2008)

Rhythmic gymnastics is just paedophilia for cowards!
/ Frankie Boyle

But yeah, the gymnasts were great. :3 

And you don't need to cheer on Great Britain, Cirrus. :D I still don't see why the UK's countries have seperate teams for _everything_ except the Olympics. Honestly.


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## Lorem Ipsum (Aug 14, 2008)

The mascots are amazing, and so is their promotion video it. Googtube it.


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## Dannichu (Aug 14, 2008)

Tailsy said:


> And you don't need to cheer on Great Britain, Cirrus. :D I still don't see why the UK's countries have seperate teams for _everything_ except the Olympics. Honestly.


Well I guess the places making up the UK are all pretty small, so if a team from, say, Wales went up against a team from the USA, it'd be a team from a population of about three million against a team from a population of three hundred million, which seems a tad unfair. Of course it's still unfair, but slightly less so.


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## Altmer (Aug 14, 2008)

> And you don't need to cheer on Great Britain, Cirrus. :D I still don't see why the UK's countries have seperate teams for everything except the Olympics. Honestly.


because they aren't actually independent countries, they all have a degree of autonomy but the official nation is the UK


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## Ether's Bane (Aug 18, 2008)

Alabaster said:


> Well, I, (along with all the citizens of my country (Malaysia) ) am closely watching the badminton tournament, because Malaysia currently has the world number 2 player, and we've never won an Olympic gold medal. Silver, yes, bronze, yes, but never the gold.


UPDATE!!!

Lee Chong Wei lost his match 12-21, 8-21. If you're a Naruto fan, you'll recognize this analogy - it was like Itachi vs Ino.


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## Dannichu (Aug 18, 2008)

I watched loads today. I love how GB are great at boating in crap conditions; British weather is good for something X3

And the moral of the story is that Jamacian women are amazing at the 100 metre sprint. Fraser was so damn _happy _when she won X3

The floor gymnastics was so amazing. And the vaulting. Gymnastics is just so damn impressive to watch. It really annoys me when the commentators are critical of when someone messes up a bit; it's not like _they _could do any better.

The Slovenian hammer-throwing man looked creepily like someone I know O.o But it was awesome for Solvenia to get gold <3

The steeplechase is the most random event ever. "So let's make it like the hurdles, only not... and put a big _puddle _in the middle of the track :D"
The woman who won that (and set the record) was pretty amazing, though.

The badminton match looked so cute after the tennis X3 But everyone was pretty damn amazing. Poor Malaysia ;;

And that sailing event was absolutely _hilarious_. Denmark's mast broke, so they borrowed Crotaia's boat and the Austrians were winning then then they capsized and then the Australians were winning and then _they _capsized and then the Danes plus Croatian boat capsized but managed to cross the line and ended up getting gold overall. Crazy stuff.


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## opaltiger (Aug 18, 2008)

> The Slovenian hammer-throwing man looked creepily like someone I know O.o But it was awesome for Solvenia to get gold <3


haha WHAT god I am such a terrible Slovenian I should have known about this five days before it happened

(my sister's former classmate was five hundredths of a second away from gold in 200m freestyle :( I was actually sad about that one. fuck country loyalty, school loyalty's where it's at)


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## Furretsu (Aug 18, 2008)

no mention of Phelps' victory in here? :[

8 gold!


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## Lorem Ipsum (Aug 18, 2008)

This is Team GB's greatest Olympics since 1920 or something. And woo, we were third yesterday in the medals table :D

EDIT: Just loaded up BBC Sport, it turns out that we are still third! Even more :D


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